Variety of items for Allamakee County voters to decide on in November 5 General Election

The Tuesday, November 5 General Election is less than a week away, and voters in Allamakee County will have a full ballot of decisions to make, from the highest public office in the nation to local volunteers seeking to guide their respective entities and offices at the county level of governance. All 10 Allamakee County polling locations for the November 5 General Election Day will be open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. that Tuesday, with in-person absentee voting for this year’s General Election continuing each weekday  from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. through Monday, November 4 in the Auditor’s Office at the Allamakee County Courthouse in Waukon. The Auditor’s Office will also be open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. this Saturday, November 2 for in-person absentee voting.

As absentee voting got underway in mid-October, The Standard newspaper issued questionnaires to candidates in the contested races on this year’s General Election ballot where there are more candidates than seats being pursued, with the exception of the Presidential race. The questions asked, and the replies from each candidate, were printed in the October 16 edition of The Standard.

A sample ballot and election notice listing all the respective races on all of this year’s local General Election ballots were also published in that October 16 edition of The Standard. Questions about this year’s election can be answered by contacting the Allamakee County Auditor’s Office at 563-568-3522.
 
LOCAL RACES
Included in that mix of this year’s contested races are the most local Allamakee County races for the Veterans Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees and the Agriculture Extension Council. Each of those two races has one more candidate on this year’s ballot than there are seats up for election.

After voter approval in November 2022, Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) was transferred from City of Waukon ownership to ownership by Allamakee County. Per Iowa Code 347, a new board of trustees is required to be voted in and all trustee seats are up for election. The VMH Board of Trustees currently consists of seven member seats, representation of which is open to any eligible resident of Allamakee County, and there are eight candidates vying for those seven seats on this year’s General Election ballot. Those eight candidates include Dawn Clark, John Ellingson, Dennis Lyons, Patty Nordheim, Ron Osterholm and Duane Rogers of Waukon, Larry Schellhammer of Lansing, and Dennis Koenig of Postville.

Similarly, the Allamakee County Agriculture Extension Council works with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach staff at both the local and statewide level to provide research-based learning opportunities for the people of Allamakee County, partnering to carry out Iowa State University’s land-grant mission across Allamakee County. There are four seats up for election on this year’s ballot and five candidates vying for those seats, including John Ellingson and Fred Reinhardt of Waukon, Joseph Swizdor and Louise Wild of Lansing, and Brittany Tilleraas of Waterville.

There are also a number of other races on this year’s ballot at the County level of representation, including voting for trustees in each respective township in Allamakee County. There are also three candidates listed to fill three seats on the Allamakee County Soil and Water Conservation District Commission, including Brady Kruger and Jim Pladsen of Waukon, and Dean Peterson of Harpers Ferry.

The four countywide government races on this year’s ballot are all uncontested with just one Republican candidate listed for each, including incumbent Sheriff Clark Mellick and incumbent Auditor Denise Beyer, along with incumbent newcomer Nicki Smedsrud, who was appointed to the position of Allamakee County Treasurer earlier this year after the resignation of former Treasurer Jennifer O’Neill and is listed on this year’s ballot “To Fill a Vacancy” to continue her term in that office. Tom Clark is also the lone candidate listed for the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors seat up for election and not being further pursued by current Supervisor Mark Reiser.

STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
A pair of State government races are on this year’s ballot, and both feature contested races that involve Allamakee County within their district representation. Iowa’s District 32 Senator Mike Klimesh of Spillville, a Republican incumbent, is seeking re-election to that office, but is being challenged by Democrat Brian Bruening of Elkader.

Current District 64 Representative in the Iowa House, Anne Osmundson, is not seeking re-election this year. That office is being pursued by Republican Jason Gearhart of Strawberry Point and Ian Zahren of Lansing, who is running as an Independent candidate.

In addition to this year’s Presidential race that features seven different President/Vice President pairs on this year’s General Election ballot, the only other Federal race on the local ballot is Iowa’s District 2 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Incumbent Republican Ashley Hinson is seeking re-election to that District 2 office, with challenges coming from Democrat Sarah Corkery, along with Jody Madlom Puffett, who is running independent of any party affiliation.

OTHER BALLOT ITEMS
In addition to the races for office mentioned above, voters will also be asked to cast their choice for retention of eight different Iowa judges, ranging from one Supreme Court Justice, to four Court of Appeals judges, two District 1A Court judges, and one District 1A Associate judge. There are also two proposed amendments to the State of Iowa Constitution listed on this year’s General Election ballot as well.

For additional information about the November 5 General Election, visit the Allamakee County Election website at https://allamakeecountyelections.iowa.gov, reference the weekly series of “Election Essentials” articles being printed in this same newspaper since its September 25 edition, or call the Allamakee County Auditor’s Office at 563-568-3522.